Regardless of your views on Coca-Cola’s politics, the beverage is a gift to humanity.

In 1942, the Nazi official Otto Dietrich remarked, “America has contributed nothing to world civilization except chewing gum and Coca-Cola.”

He may have underestimated our impact, but even if he were correct, sharing Coca-Cola with the world brings more joy to humanity than many nations have ever achieved.

As a testament to how corporate America is willing to align itself with Donald Trump during his second term, the CEO of Coca-Cola presented him with a commemorative Diet Coke bottle during his Inauguration.

Given Trump’s well-known fondness for the beverage, receiving it must have felt as gratifying as receiving a Nobel Peace Prize.

In one of the many bewildering reversals of Trump’s policies, President Biden removed the red button that Trump had installed at the Resolute Desk for instant Diet Coke orders, which also served to prank visitors who mistakenly believed the red button had a more significant use.

Coca-Cola holds a significant place not just in the U.S. beverage industry, but also in our culture.

The drink is an integral part of Americana. Since its inception as a medicinal tonic in the late 19th century, it has been linked to various facets of American life, from soda fountains to gas stations and cinema.

Its logo is universally recognized, and its advertising campaigns have reflected the evolving tastes of the American public over the decades.

The classic Coke bottle, known as the hobbleskirt (with a curvier version humorously dubbed the Mae West), is a symbol of the United States in its own right.

During World War II, ensuring Coke reached our troops overseas was considered a national priority. As noted by Mark Pendergast in his cola history, military leaders were fully supportive. Patton insisted on having Coke available, MacArthur signed the first bottle produced in the Philippines, and Bradley kept a case in his office.

Then there was Ike. Pendergast recounts a celebratory luncheon in Washington, D.C., following VE Day in 1945, where Eisenhower was asked if he wanted anything.

“Could somebody get me a Coke?” he inquired. After finishing it, the future president expressed a desire for one more. When asked what it was, he responded: “Another Coke.”

Coke represents the essence of American culture, perhaps even more so than apple pie, which made its dabbling in trendy left-wing politics all the more disheartening.

Under pressure in 2021, the Atlanta-based company criticized the Georgia election law. Its CEO, James Quincey, stated, “The Coca-Cola Company does not support this legislation, as it makes it harder for people to vote, not easier.”

He was mistaken and simply following the corporate trend. Coke also embraced diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) training, earning it the nickname Woke-a-Cola from critics.

The commemorative Diet Coke bottle, although not as significant as Meta’s shift on its speech policies, is part of Coke’s long history of creating special bottles for presidential inaugurations.

However, the CEO didn’t have to personally deliver it to Trump, and the gesture of honoring Trump’s beverage preference with a Diet Coke bottle was notable.

While companies like Coke once felt the pressure to conform to progressive ideologies, Trump’s resurgence is now allowing them to distance themselves from what had seemed like an uncontested ideological movement.

Interestingly, the soda creates conflicting dynamics within Trump’s coalition: while the former president reportedly consumes 12 Diet Cokes daily, his Health and Human Services nominee, RFK Jr., is not particularly fond of the drink.

If Coke faces public health criticism, it won’t be the first instance. Going back to the early 1900s, the activist health official Harvey Wiley conducted a campaign against Coca-Cola for containing cocaine (which had already been removed) and caffeine; the company managed to evade his scrutiny.

Regardless of the prevailing politics, Coca-Cola will undoubtedly endure. Nearly 150 years after John Pemberton created the beverage, it remains the real thing.

Twitter: @RichLowry